Claudia Dipasupil (no.22) of Northern Highlands (in white) drives the ball past Emma Gallagher (no.5) of River Dell (in black) during the Bergen County Girls Soccer Tournament at Northern Highlands High School in Allendale on 10/08/17. Northern Highlands won the game 3 to 1. Mitsu Yasukawa/NorthJersey.com

Bryonna Richburg was the winning pitcher in six of Mary Help's seven softball victories in 2018, as the Blue Jays posted their best record in a decade. Courtesy of Mary Help of Christians Academy athletics

Passaic County girls bowling champion Bryonna Richburg of Mary Help, center, is joined by teammates (from left) Natalie Lamendola, Savannah Susen, Kayla Sullivan and Alleyna Jean-Philippe after collecting the high game and series medals at the 2018 tournament. Greg Tartaglia/NorthJersey.com

Clifton's Gabby Pangaro (left) and Fair Lawn's Nick Greco captured the girls and boys titles, respectively, of the North Jersey Singles Championships bowling tournament on Saturday at Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park. Special to The Record

First day of Bergen County Track Championships at Old Tappan High School on Friday, May 11, 2018. Katherine Muccio, of Ridgewood, on her way to finishing first in her division of the 400IH. Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com

Mike Piazza (Hall of Fame Baseball Player) and Ashley Hess of Holy Angels (Girls Tennis Player of the Year Award). NorthJersey.com and the USA Today Network hosted its second annual Sports Awards at bergenPAC in Englewood. The evening honored high school athletes across north jersey and featured Hall of Fame baseball player Mike Piazza as the guest speaker. 06/14/2018 Jeremy Smith/Special to NorthJersey.com

Story Highlights

It comes with being a Division I talent. And it follows Devin Thompson wherever she goes.

Yet the Indian Hills' lacrosse phenom doesn't seem to be affected by the scrutiny she's placed under every time she takes the field. The Braves' attacker scored 81 goals and tallied 20 assists this past season, despite getting face-guarded or double-teamed throughout the spring. Just getting the ball was often a challenge with one or two defenders tracking her every move. But even with the spotlight, she had a goal in 19 of 20 games and collected 14 hat tricks.

Thompson paid the price for being a star and came out even better.

"She's probably the best player in the county coming into next year," coach Mike Carti said of the rising senior. "I've seen players and it's unheard of. She has a rocket of a shot. Both righty and lefty. It's going to be tough to stop her."

With her natural talent and on-field IQ, she can single-handedly take over a game and change the direction of a program. But the Wyckoff native isn't satisfied as she goes into her senior year with 206 career points and clear championship aspirations. She is working on her shot – adding even more tricks to her arsenal – and wants to start having captain's practices with the Braves.

There's a chip on her shoulder that comes with losing in a sectional final.

"I love getting stats, but I think the most exciting thing is to see myself grow as a player," Thompson said. "From the beginning of the season to the end of the season, I realized how much I changed. It carried into my summer season. I just feel different. I feel like a different player."

In lacrosse, Thompson has always been a step ahead.

She picked up the game at age 4 and committed to Florida a few months before her 16th birthday. Though she tried basketball and soccer, it was a only matter of time until she devoted herself to the sport that runs in the family. Her dad played lacrosse at Long Island prep power Garden City and then briefly at Washington College, before passing down the skills to his only child.

"I always want to be on my 'A' game," Thompson said of her consistency. "My dad got me in the mindset to always be ready. Some people say to pretend like your coaches are always watching. It's not even that. I'm out there to win. I'm really competitive. I want to win so I come out ready every time."

Only three starters graduated from an Indian Hills team that went 14-6, but ultimately fell short of its first sectional title with a championship loss to Sparta.

The Braves should still be able to light up the scoreboard with Katherine Kerin and Leanna Rubinetti expected to return along with Thompson quarterbacking up front. She's often the one relaying directions from the sideline and making sure the offense is in place.

Being a leader and having control comes naturally to her.

"She knows the game," Carti said. "It's like having another coach on the field. She knows what to do where when it comes to other girls, you have to walk them through it. When Dev has the ball, I'm very, very confident with her."

In her words

Thompson on last season's ending

"I still think about it. But I move on fast from things. I like looking forward in the future. We all learn from our mistakes pretty fast. We're just looking forward to next season and hopefully, we get a second chance at them. I think we're all really ready for next year. We're going to do a bunch of captain's practices. We didn't really have those last year. We're going to get people to come so we're working together all the way from the fall to the spring."